Pakistan has long been affectionately dubbed “Iron Bro” by Chinese netizens. The two countries share a unique “all weather strategic cooperative partnership,” reflecting deep historical roots and rich cultural ties. From the camel bells along the ancient Silk Road to the cargo ships sailing along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), how has their friendship and civilizational exchange remained vibrant across time? And how does economic cooperation provide sustained momentum for this ongoing dialogue?
In a recent exclusive interview with China News Service, Liu Zongyi, director of the Center for South Asian Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, offers a deep dive into the evolution of Sino-Pakistani civilizational exchange, one that started with mutual interests and matured into spiritual resonance.
CNS: How did the ancient Silk Road serve as a bridge for civilizational exchange between China and Pakistan?
Liu Zongyi: The Silk Road played a vital role in facilitating civilizational exchange between China and Pakistan, extending beyond material trade to include religious transmission, artistic fusion, technological transfer, and intellectual interaction.
The Gandhara region in northern Pakistan (today’s Peshawar and Taxila) was one of the birthplaces of Buddhist art and a key waypoint in Buddhism’s spread to China. Around the first century, Buddhist monks traveled the Silk Road to bring scriptures to China. The renowned monk Kumarajiva, whose ancestral roots traced back to Gandhara, translated many Buddhist texts in the ancient Chinese capital of Chang’an (now Xi’an). In the Tang Dynasty [618-907], the monk Xuanzang visited Taxila twice, in 630 and 643 CE, where he preached and documented Gandhara’s Buddhist flourishing in his Records of the Western Regions. Taxila was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980, and the Buddhist statues and reliefs unearthed there, while now partially in ruins, bear witness to the region’s lasting artistic influence on Chinese sites like the Yungang Grottoes [in Datong, Shanxi Province] and Mogao Caves [in Dunhuang, Gansu Province]. I have personally visited the site, and though much has crumbled, locals say the remains of Xuanzang’s lecture hall are still there.
The Karakoram Highway, known as the “China-Pakistan Friendship Road,” links Kashgar in Xinjiang Ugyur Autonomous Region to northern Pakistan and overlaps in many sections with the
ancient Silk Road. At the Kashgar Museum, I saw a rock inscription along the Indus River in the Hunza Valley that reads in 12 Chinese characters: “Envoy of the Great Wei, Gu Weilong, now heading to the land of Maymurgh.” This suggests that as early as the fifth century, envoys and merchants from China’s Northern Wei Dynasty were traveling through the Karakoram to South Asia.
The Silk Road also facilitated the transmission of Chinese papermaking technology to what is now Pakistan during the Tang Dynasty. Chinese hydraulic engineering and traditional medicine spread to South Asia via trade routes, while the region’s astronomical and calendrical knowledge influenced Chinese astronomy during the same era.
CNS: As a flagship Belt and Road project, what achievements has CPEC made after a decade of development?
LZ: Launched in 2013, CPEC was built on the shared needs of both countries. China sought to further develop and open its western regions, while Pakistan envisioned an energy and trade
corridor to address domestic power shortages with Chinese cooperation.
CPEC’s early harvest projects focused on energy, power and infrastructure. Coal-fired plants in the cities of Sahiwal, Port Qasim and Hub, along with clean energy projects like the Karot Hydropower Plant, have significantly eased Pakistan’s energy shortages. On the transportation front, upgrades to the Karakoram Highway and the ML-1 railway line have greatly improved infrastructure and enabled smoother trade and mobility across the region.
Beyond infrastructure, these projects have created tens of thousands of jobs and spurred growth in related industries. Investments in education, healthcare, and human resources have also raised Pakistan’s socio-economic standing. One example is China’s support for the Gwadar Vocational and Technical School, which provides local residents with essential job skills.
CPEC has not only deepened bilateral economic ties but has also created new trade corridors connecting South Asia, Central Asia, North Africa and the Persian Gulf. The development of Gwadar Port offers landlocked Central Asian countries their closest access to the sea, boosting regional trade and commerce.
CNS: Can CPEC carry on the Silk Road’s legacy and serve as a new platform for civilizational exchange?
LZ: CPEC has already shown that economic cooperation and civilizational dialogue are not separate paths. Infrastructure projects offer real-world spaces for cultural engagement, while shared understanding and trust strengthen the foundation for economic collaboration.
Upgrading the Karakoram Highway has not only sped up freight, but built a “cultural corridor” for engineers, entrepreneurs, tourists and students from both countries. Gwadar Port, in addition to opening trade routes to the Indian Ocean, has catalyzed projects like the China-funded Faqeer Middle School and the China-Pakistan Friendship Hospital in the surrounding area. These projects not only benefit locals but also serve as important touchpoints for cultural exchange and understanding between the two peoples.
The CPEC Consortium of Universities, established in 2017, promotes collaboration between universities in both countries through academic exchanges, joint research and academic forums. Today, the number of Pakistani students studying in China continues to grow, making Pakistan the third-largest source of international students in China, after South Korea and Thailand.
The promotion of Chinese hybrid rice technology in Pakistan has not only increased grain yields but also spurred local interest in Chinese agricultural culture. In a cooperation project in Faisalabad, the ancient Chinese irrigation method known as karez, introduced to Pakistan via the Silk Road, has evolved into the local system called qanat. Chinese experts have integrated this traditional technique with modern water-saving technologies to create innovative solutions, a vivid example of civilizational exchange in practice.
CNS: In the future, how can we leverage the CPEC to ensure that economic cooperation continues to nourish civilizational exchange?
LZ: Due to differences in culture, religion, and social development, China and Pakistan face some challenges in deepening civilizational exchange. Strengthening people-to-people ties can play a vital role in enhancing mutual understanding and trust.
First, high-level dialogue is key to enhancing political mutual trust and providing strategic guidance for bilateral cooperation. Government-to-government dialogue mechanisms should be built and refined, with regular bilateral and multilateral meetings to strengthen coordination on regional and international affairs and to jointly address global challenges.
Second, academic and think tank exchanges offer an efficient way forward. Joint research and academic seminars allow for deep dialogue and the sharing of ideas and outcomes. A China-Pakistan think tank cooperation mechanism should be established to hold regular forums on topics such as bilateral relations, regional integration, and global governance, thus promoting the sound development of the bilateral relationship.
Third, youth exchange is especially important. More young leaders, professionals, and student representatives from Pakistan should be invited to visit China, helping them gain a broader understanding of Chinese society, economy and culture. Scholarship and joint training programs should continue to grow, cultivating future ambassadors of China-Pakistan friendship.
Finally, deeper media cooperation is essential. The CPEC Media Forum should be further leveraged to dispel misunderstandings surrounding the CPEC. Through co-productions, information-sharing and media exchange programs, the two countries can dismantle information barriers, foster a more balanced public discourse, and build enduring momentum for the China-Pakistan Community of Shared Destiny.
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